Rains wreak havoc across Punjab

LAHORE: Various regions and cities including Lahore received heavy rains during the last 24 hours, and at least 18 people were killed in different incidents of roof and wall collapses and rain-related incidents. According to citizens, electricity remained suspended for up to 12 hours during and after the rains, and roads were turned into ponds and waterways in the cities.

In Lahore, four members of a family died and five others sustained injuries when the roof of a house collapsed due to heavy rain in Ibrahim Colony, Harbanspura area, on Thursday.

Police said the family members were asleep in the house when the roof caved in. On getting information, Rescue-1122 teams reached there and pulled out the injured from under debris while seven-year-old Kamran Khan, 31-year-old Sabir Khan, 25-year-old Azam Khan, and Aslam Khan died on-the-spot. The injured, including 57-year-old Habibullah, 18-year-old Sohail, 25-year-old Qamar Bibi, 15-year-old Fatima and 60-year-old Farida Bibi, were shifted to the Services Hospital. Meanwhile, the roof of a house on Muridke Road in Sheikhupura collapsed,killing two people and injuring seven others.

Also five people including a woman and four children were killed when the roof of their house collapsed in Mandi Bahauddin's Phalia area. In addition, a landslide occurred in a coalmine in Qasba Bhal of Chakwal due to rains, causing death of three labourers and injuries to five others.

Two others died in Faisalabad and Zafarwal from electrocution. In Faisalabad, a boy was killed and five others were injured as torrential rain lashed the district. Asad Asghar of Hajveri Town was killed while five others were seriously injured when the roofs of their houses collapsed during heavy rain. In Hafizabad, A man was killed while his father was injured seriously when the roof their house collapsed at Sagar Kharal village.